


Like Brothers

by Rhiannon87



Category: Castle
Genre: F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-11-17
Updated: 2012-11-17
Packaged: 2017-11-18 21:58:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 781
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/565720
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rhiannon87/pseuds/Rhiannon87
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>If the team at the 12th is like a family, then Esposito and Ryan are Beckett's brothers. That gives them certain responsibilities, especially where her new boyfriend is involved. (Set sometime after 5x05, no real spoilers.)</p>
            </blockquote>





	Like Brothers

“Hey, Castle.”

Four years of working with Detective Ryan had given Castle great insight into the man's quirks and mannerisms. And that particular tone, as friendly as it sounded, meant nothing good. It was Ryan's sweet, charming, I-am-so-innocent voice that usually came right before he issued some horribly scary threat. The fact that the threat came in the same tone only made it worse.

“How's it going, bro?”

Oh, yeah. He was doomed. Castle turned away from the espresso machine to face Detectives Ryan and Esposito, who had trapped him against the counter. Ryan was doing that oh-so-slightly unhinged smile, the one that Castle tended to think of as his 'I am secretly capable of great violence' look. Esposito just had his arms folded over his chest and stared Castle down.

Castle swallowed hard. “It's good,” he said carefully. “What can I do for you?”

“We need to talk to you,” Esposito said.

“About Beckett. And you.”

Oh, god. Castle glanced at the breakroom doors-- all closed. On the one hand, it meant that no one would overhear this conversation, which was good. On the other, he was now trapped. “What about Beckett? And me.”

Esposito arched an eyebrow. “Look, you've been around for a while.”

“Had Beckett's back.”

“Saved her life, even.”

They were doing that scary mind-link thing. This could go nowhere good. Castle just nodded in what he hoped was an encouraging manner. “But here's the thing, Castle,” Ryan said with menacing cheer.

Esposito took a step forward, and Castle instinctively backed against the counter. “We were her partners first.”

Castle blinked. “Um.” He tried to parse out where this conversation was going and came up near-empty. “Are you... jealous?”

Ryan let out a single 'ha' of a laugh. “Of course not, bro,” Esposito said. “It's just that we've had her back for longer.”

“We look out for her,” Ryan said. “No matter what.”

“Now, we're all real happy you two finally got together,” Epsosito continued. He paused for a beat, then his look of focused menace slipped a bit. “Though would it have killed you to wait until July? I had a lot of money riding on--”

Ryan elbowed him in the side and shot him a look. Esposito shook his head. “Anyway,” Ryan said. “We're happy for you two. Really.”

“But,” Esposito said, returning to his scary face, “we gotta tell you the same thing we've told her other boyfriends.”

“If you hurt her, we're gonna find you,” Ryan said.

“There will be nowhere you can hide.”

“And when we find you...”

Esposito leaned in, just a little, and Castle really wished the espresso machine wasn't behind him so he could climb up on the counter. And then possibly dive through the window and run away. “You will be in a _world_ of pain.”

Castle swallowed hard and cleared his throat. “Not that I doubt any of this,” he said in a half-whisper, “but don't you think that Beckett can, you know, defend her honor on her own?”

Ryan gave him a bright, toothy grin. “Of course, Castle,” he said. “This is _after_ she's done with you.”

Castle blinked, trying to come up with a good response to that, when the breakroom door opened. Ryan and Esposito immediately backed off and stood down from their Imminent Violence stances. Beckett stepped into the room, coffee mug in hand, and stopped in her tracks. “Hey guys,” she said, glancing around at the three of them. “What's going on?”

“Nothing!” Ryan said.

“Just havin' a friendly chat with our buddy here,” Esposito added and slung an arm around Castle's shoulders. Castle smiled while giving Beckett his best desperate oh-god-please-save-me eyes.

Beckett blinked at them and raised an eyebrow. “Ooookay,” she replied slowly. “Can I get my coffee?”

“Sure thing, Beckett,” Ryan said brightly. “We'll leave you two alone.”

Castle let out a breath of relief and moved away from the espresso machine. Beckett side-eyed the detectives as they headed out; Esposito paused in the doorway, and as soon as Beckett looked away, he pointed a single, threatening finger at Castle. Castle gulped and looked away.

She smirked at him. “What was that about?”

“Oh, just-- negotiations over the Ferrari,” Castle lied.

“I thought you'd settled when they got the keys?”

“It's an ongoing process.”

He was pretty sure she wasn't buying it, but mercifully, she let it drop. “Make sure you update your insurance,” she advised. She brushed her fingers against his hand as she turned away, the tiny moment of contact the only thing they'd dare risk in the precinct. “You ever seen Ferris Bueller?”

Castle groaned. “I'm gonna call my lawyer. Meet you at the murder board.”


End file.
